It has been playing, ceaselessly, for three decades now, and it will stay lodged in your brain, like a barnacle made of synthesizers and cocaine, for hours after you read this article. (Don’t blame us—blame Starship.) This is the true story of how “We Built This City”—the most detested song in human history—got built....................................................

 

Thirty years ago, radio stations and MTV put an insidiously catchy song called “We Built This City” into heavy rotation and kept it there. The hit single gave the members of the band Starship—which emerged from the ashes of Jefferson Starship, successor to Jefferson Airplane, the essential 1960s psychedelic band—unlikely second careers as pop stars. At the time, Starship's most famous member, singer Grace Slick, was 46.

 

 

An Oral History of "We Built This City," the Worst Song of All Time | GQ

The song never bothered me.

Now, I'm a fan of Jefferson Airplane and early Jefferson Starship(Loved Marty Balin), and while this tune is no where near the top of my favorites list, it's certainly not the worst ever. That's absurd. Come on, admit it. You're singing the damn chorus in your head right now!!!

 

I've met and talked to Thomas a couple of times. He still sounds great and still rolls out this tune to wildly adoring fans, often closing the show with this song. Certainly, not a great song, but definitely nowhere near the worst, imo.

 

If not "WBTC," what rock song would you name as the worst ever?

The song never bothered me.

 

Same here. It would be way down the list of their songs that I would choose to play.

 

I loved "Miracles," back in the Balin-era.

When it came out, I considered it a sell-out by, as you say, the ashes of Jefferson Airplane. Strict money grab. But I'm no expert in pop music.

It's pretty darn close...

If it's not the worst, you can see the worst from where it is sitting.

That's not the worst song of all time.

Decent song. I'm good with it.

The song made me cringe the very first time I heard it and every time after. I can't stand the song. I recall thinking "How could a band with such a cool past put out such a dorky tune"?

 

I considered the Airplane legendary with their undeniable mark made within the Woodstock era, and as they progressed into the Starship I wanted to appreciate that phase as well, but this song set the pace for me as seeing them as becoming terribly cornball, and a band of sell-outs, while leaving a bad taste in my mouth with regards to the majority of their material from this era, as it was painfully obvious that the cool was gone.

 

It's pretty obvious from the numerous people involved with either writing or performing the song that they too thought that it was crap, but at this point in their careers they weren't going to turn away from a big pay day.

 

If the masses dug it, they just laughed their way all the way to the bank. If it was going to pay the bills then they were going to put a smile on their faces and fake their way right through it while playing it live like they meant it.

 

I can't say if it's the worst song ever, but when it comes to hit songs, it's certainly high up on my list of number 1's that I couldn't stand. :puke:

I read that article last week. I hate that song. So cheesy at an incomprehensible level. Especially the DJ talkover part that often got subbed over with local DJs on certain stations so as to pander to people on a hyperlocal level.

You can definitely make an argument for it being the worst and you probably wouldn't be wrong.

I don't get some of the reactions. I mean, I don't change the radio station when it comes on. I do however, stop my car and get out, set the car on fire and then throw myself in front of oncoming traffic.

Not afraid to admit I like the song.

That's not the worst song of all time.

 

 

Come on guys. Seriously. Silly as hell , yes. Cheesier than hell, yes. But worst ever? Not close.